meaning of yoga

Came across Deepak Chopra's website when a friend sent me a youtube vid today.

I can't say I'm moved by the website (I still have doubts about whether all this new age stuff is mumbo jumbo) but I discovered the meaning of yoga!

"The Sanskrit word yoga means union - union of environment, the senses, body, mind, and soul. This union is described in an ancient text known as the Yoga Sutras, written by the sage Patanjali who explains that yoga is the progressive settling down of the mind in the field of pure silence, which is usually overshadowed by the activity of the mind."

Deepak Chopra's yoga page 

Whether we (you, me or anyone) believe in yoga or the benefits of regular practice, it's still pretty awesome to think that the environment, senses, body, mind and soul can unite. Oohhmm

I'll bid adieu here so I can go back to the real world to check on my portfolio and see what the Australian share market did today and down a cup of coffee before I go off to CutCopy concert tonight! Woohoo! I know... not very spiritual, is it??

Weekend away

Last weekend some friends and I went away for a quick getaway to the beautiful city of Melbourne.
As we only booked a budget flight (Virgin Blue) we could only take a carry-on luggage. Therefore, I couldn't take my trusty yoga mat.

"No matter. I'll just use a towel. It's only for three days anyway."
And matter, it did!! I was slipping as I posed warrior and tried to downward dog! So let this be a warning to all of you. Don't bother trying to yoga on a towel unless you're thinking of sitting to meditate only.

So three days without yoga, I'm stiff! Neck is stiff, back feels stiff, and I feel shorter!!

Yes, it's all in the mind probably but where the thoughts go, energy goes! I will be going to an afternoon basic flow class today and will be thinking of the beautiful shots I took whilst there..

Yoga injuries

After pushing myself really hard the other day in class I slept until 10am today and woke up with a stiff neck. These things resulted in a migraine all day and even a cup of long black didn't help.

It's not unusual for me to get a stiff neck after a yoga class. I must be doing something wrong but I still haven't been able to pinpoint the cause of it. So I got to doing some research on common yoga injuries and how to prevent them.

Some of the most common injuries are:
1. Pulled hamstring
2. Neck and lower back injuries
3. Inflammation of a tendon

So what should you do to prevent yourself from injury?
1. Warm up (do some milder version of an asana before plunging into an advanced asana. eg: Warrior 1 before doing a Cobra)
2. Check alignment
3. Keep the weight evenly distributed among the four corners of the feet
4. Avoid hyper-extension (downward dog is a strong pose if you are not used to it. Retreat to child's pose if you feel it is getting too much)
5. Use props

Remember: you are not competing with anybody but yourself! Listen to your body before you start getting competitive with others!

Below is a good website I found on preventing injuries:
Preventing yoga injuries